


Trash to Treasure

by duointherain



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Active Shooter, EMS, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 03:10:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18379736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duointherain/pseuds/duointherain
Summary: just a little one-shot about Duo's first day as an EMT





	Trash to Treasure

Trash to Treasure  
by duointherain

disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing

Note: This was a rp starter, but I haven’t shared anything in a week and I just can’t deal with that.

 

Duo sat in the food court with his partner, elbows on the table, hands on his cheeks, violet eyes wide. He coughed for no particular reason. Maybe his subconscious preferred the flu or pneumonia to the last three hours of his shift. It was his first shift. Sitting there, a melting milkshake waiting for him under his chin, he wasn’t sure it wasn’t his last shift. 

His partner Jake, an older man with half his hair and half a lifetime experience as an emergency responder sipped his frozen coffee and tried not to be too obvious about studying Duo. “You gonna make it?”

Duo shrugged. 

“You thought it was going to be different?”

Duo tilted his head. “Well, I thought I... I guess I thought I’d seen action as much as it could get.” 

After all what could be worse than active warfare? There had been days where he hadn’t slept in the wars and really, some drugs helped with that and he wasn’t going back to that. So a heart attack, a baby on the way, a suicide, two car accidents, and a domestic violence issue shouldn’t have been nothing compared to blowing shit up, but it kinda was. Being ready to die turns out to be way less emotional investment than trying to save lives you couldn't always save. 

The guy took a slow drink of his coffee, like a smoker could pull a long drag contemplating all the things that needed contemplating. “You’re doing really good. Teddy, the dispatcher, he lost folk in the wars. He has over dispatched us today.” 

“What’cha saying,” Duo asked, violet eyes narrowing. 

“He’s hazing you. I’ll put a stop to it when we get back to the station. You’re going to be a good doctor, if you keep going. Just eat your food, relax. Yer a good kid.” 

The rush of pride and happiness almost felt alien, but Duo straightened up a bit, took a deep breath, even though he didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath. His thoughts flicked at old wounds and he wondered if he’d be good enough for Heero now. “Thanks. I just... I thought people hurt each other... by accident or for ... war.” 

“Dude, welcome to humanity,” Jake said. 

“I don’t,” Duo said softly, pausing to take a sip of his vanilla milkshake. “I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe I should just go be hired security or something. I mean, who am I kidding? I’m just trash.” 

“Humanity,” Jake said, “Eat your burger. We’ll swing by the hospital and see that girl you kept from bleeding out today.” 

“Why? She’s just gonna be pissed that I kept her alive,” Duo said, wrapping his barely eatten burger back up.” 

“I bet you’ll be surprised.” 

Duo shrugged. 

Then metal tore, glass shattered, raining down, and the screams that followed seemed inevitable. Duo perked up, violet eyes narrowing as if he’d just become a great predator. 

Jake was on the radio with the station, checking for incoming calls and information. Duo stood, turned and scanned the expanse of mall that he could see. “Shooter, elevator, 12 o’clock.” 

Emergency medical responders are not armed. 

Sometimes security guards are. 

Smooth, Duo stepped towards the guard running towards him and away from the elevator that gave the shooter the high ground. He stretched out a leg, tripped the man, caught him on the way down and relieved him of his pistol. 

Being in the food court, away from the people still running around in the main plaza, gave him a bit of cover and he focused on checking the pistol he’d just stolen. He dropped the magazine, put it back, checked to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber, took the safety off, aimed, and put a bullet through the shooter’s hand. 

This ought to have put an end to things. It didn’t

It did put an end to him being out of sight out of mind and the now bleeding shooter became quite focused on the food court. It wasn’t that Duo thought he couldn’t die. He knew that wasn’t true. Facing down death though felt a whole lot more familiar than telling an elderly woman her husband’s heart had exploded, but they were taking him to the hospital. 

There was a moment of hesitation, where Duo felt like he spent a lifetime trying to decide if he was going to kill the guy or not. What kind of person was he? The guy put a bullet in the table, just missing Duo. Duo wrinkled his nose, not moving, not ducking. Fucker who could miss a shot like that was not very good at shooting and probably hadn’t taken very good care of his weapon. Pistol in both hands, Duo put a bullet in his shoulder, then through a knee. 

That did end it. The rifle almost balanced on the edge of the elevator where there had been glass. It sort of swayed then fell forward to splash in a fountain below. Duo ejected the bullet in the chamber, dropped the magazine which went into his pocket, but he left the pistol on the table, before running off to help people.


End file.
